Bidens plant named ‘Duebigontra’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bidens  plant named ‘Duebigontra’, characterized by its relatively compact, outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets and darker yellow-colored disc florets; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and beyond the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Bidens ferulifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEBIGONTRA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bidens plant, botanically known as Bidens ferulifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duebigontra’.

The new Bidens plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching Bidens plants with trailing habit and numerous inflorescences.

The new Bidens plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany in July, 2008 of a proprietary selection of Bidens ferulifolia identified as code number B07-0203-002, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Bidens ferulifolia identified as code number F-07-14, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Bidens plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bidens plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Bidens plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Bidens have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duebigontra’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duebigontra’ as a new and distinct Bidens plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, outwardly spreading to trailing plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets and         darker yellow-colored disc florets.     -   6. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and         beyond the foliar plane.

Plants of the new Bidens differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in plant habit as plants of the new Bidens are more trailing than and not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Bidens differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bidens are more trailing than and not as         upright as plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens are not as vigorous as plants of the         male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Bidens have smaller inflorescences than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Bidens can be compared to plants of Bidens ferulifolia ‘Fisbimex’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,164). In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Bidens differed from plants of ‘Fisbimex’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bidens were more trailing than and not as         upright as plants of ‘Fisbimex’.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens were more compact than plants of         ‘Fisbimex’.     -   3. Plants of the new Bidens had larger leaves than plants of         ‘Fisbimex’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Bidens plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bidens plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duebigontra’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Bidens production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time about three weeks after planting. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Bidens ferulifolia ‘Duebigontra’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Bidens ferulifolia             identified as code number B07-0203-002, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Bidens ferulifolia             identified as code number F-07-14, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at about 20°             C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at about             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; color, close to 155B.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Relatively compact, outwardly             spreading to trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral             branches potentially forming at every node.         -   Plant height.—About 13 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 23 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 13 cm. Diameter: About             3.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly deltoid; pinnatisect.         -   Apex.—Apiculate.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Deeply incised; laciniate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A; venation,             close to 146A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 146B; venation, close to 146A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper             surface: Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Single (daisy) inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets; inflorescences positioned above and beyond the             foliar plane on strong peduncles; inflorescences face             upright to outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about 30             inflorescences per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously during             the spring in Germany; early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering about five weeks after planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about one week             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 148A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle diameter:             About 4.3 mm. Receptacle height: About 1 mm. Receptacle             color: Close to 146A.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.5 cm to 1.7 cm. Width: About             1 cm. Shape: Elliptical to ovate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:             About eight arranged in a single whorl. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 12A. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 14A; color becoming closer to 17A with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 13A;             color becoming closer to 17A with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate. Length: About             7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 50. Color, when opening: Apex: Close to             163A. Mid-section: Close to 5A. Base: Close to 1B. Color,             fully opened: Apex: Close to 14A. Mid-section: Close to             199B. Base: Close to 1B.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 13 in a single             whorl. Length: About 5.5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Elongated elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 7.3 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 0.9 mm.             Strength: Strong; flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly             holding inflorescences above and beyond the foliar plane.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity per disc floret: Two. Filament length: About             2.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 7A. Anther shape: Oval.             Anther length: About 2.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 200C.             Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 7A. Gynoecium:             Present on ray and disc florets. Quantity per florets: One.             Pistil length: About 7 mm. Style length: About 4 mm. Style             color: Close to 9C. Stigma shape: Bifurcate. Stigma color:             Close to 15A. Ovary color: Close to 145B.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 40 to 50. Length:             About 7 mm. Diameter: About 0.8 mm. Color: Close to 200A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Bidens have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Bidens. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Clematis have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Bidens plant named ‘Duebigontra’ as illustrated and described. 